


No Preparation

by Rasy Tojas (ambaila)



Category: The Good Wife, the good fight - Fandom
Genre: 5x15, Dramatics Your Honor, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-29 22:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16752247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambaila/pseuds/Rasy%20Tojas
Summary: When advice is given, there are no rules on how it applies to real life. When real life comes crashing down, there is no time to think. An episode tag to 5x15, Dramatics Your Honor.





	1. Panic, Dread, Terror

Panic. Dread. Terror. Three words to describe what being a parent was like every day. Kurt McVeigh was told that when he was a father, one day, he would have these feelings. It was the same, he was told, when he would get married. Panic his wife would get hurt, dread that something terrible would happen to her, terror when the call came that she had been hurt. Kurt McVeigh didn’t expect all three to rush through him the morning of the shooting. 

He was at the court house to surprise Diane. He was going to take her to a late lunch, maybe an early dinner. He had passed security, was turning the corner when he heard the first set of shots. Ducking down, against the wall, his heart began to race. When the people started to run from their respective rooms, he went towards the court room Diane was in. He wanted to get her out of there. 

Getting swept up in the sea of people, forced out by security, he was out on the street. A cold morning, he would forever remember. He listened as the 9-1-1 calls were announced on the street, out of the mouths of the officer’s radios. Checking his phone, he wasn’t surprised to see his screen blank. No calls, no messages, nothing from Diane. 

Ambulances roared up. Firetrucks right behind. Chicago P.D. sectioned off the space in front of the court house and he thought for a moment, he could walk to Diane’s office and wait for her there. He knew she would have to return eventually. He hoped it was sooner, rather than later. He also knew that his truck was staying in the parking lot for a while. 

Just as he was getting ready to walk, his phone rang. Diane. 

“Diane?” He yelled over the sirens of the police car. “Where are you?” 

“Kurt?” He heard her try. “Kurt are you there?” 

“Yeah,” he said, trying to shield the sirens. “Diane, where are you?” 

“There was a shooting at the court house.” 

“I know,” he said. “I’m here. I’m outside.” 

“What?” He heard her yell. “You’re at the courthouse?” 

Muffled sounds broke up the line of questioning. He heard another voice, a female voice in the background. He caught bits and pieces of the conversation but he was making his way towards the doors. Towards the tape. 

“Diane, I’m right outside,” Kurt said. “Where are you?” 

“I’m coming,” she said. 

He watched as the doors flung open and paramedics were dealing with someone on a gurney. Behind them was Diane and Kalinda. His attention zoned in on his wife who’s hands were full of blood. Kalinda’s too.

Panic. 

Kurt took Diane in his arms and held her to him. Sighing a breath of relief into her neck, pressing his lips to her pulse point. He had to make sure she was alive. That what was happening was real. The beating against his lips calmed him minutely. His own heart was still racing.

“What happened?” Kurt asked. “Are you okay?” 

He held up her hands by the wrist. They were drenched in blood. 

“It’s not mine,” she said quickly, her voice on the verge of cracking. “It’s Will’s.” 

“What?” 

“Will,” Diane said. “He’s been shot.” 

Kurt looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of the man being loaded into the ambulance. The EMT still straddling him, pressing their hands into his chest. 

“We have to get to the hospital.” Kalinda said, touching Diane at the elbow. “Hello.” 

“Hi,” Kurt said quickly, acknowledging Kalinda. “I’ll drive.” 

“Kurt, you can’t.” Diane said. “You’re truck is here.” 

“Hold on,” Kalinda said, leaving them. 

Together, Kurt and Diane watched as Kalinda walked over to the gaggle of police officers who all had their brows furrowed and their mouths pursed. It was not a good day for them. It wasn’t going to get easier either.

“Were you in court together?” 

Dread. 

Diane shook her head in the negative. She took a deep breath and let the tears pool. He was her husband. She could let him see how scared she was. How scared she still was. 

“It was his client,” Diane said with a shuddered breath. “The kid. I told you about him. The son of a client.” 

“Yeah,” Kurt said, nodding. “I remember.” 

“I was in the room next door,” Diane went on. “I heard the shots and I froze. Everyone else dove down and I just –“ 

“You can take your truck,” Kalinda said, interrupting Diane. “They’ll let you drive us and follow the ambulance.” 

Kurt looked at Diane and nodded. “Let’s go then.” 

Kurt drove the streets with one hand. The other was in Diane’s lap, their fingers entwined. Kalinda was quiet in the passenger seat, against the window. Her hands were bloody. She kept looking down at them. 

Kurt gently shook his hand from Diane’s grip and reached behind them. He grabbed a clean shirt that he had and handed it to Kalinda. 

“Wash some of that off,” Kurt said, gently. “It’ll make you feel better.” 

Kalinda did as she was told and wiped off as much blood as she could. 

“Di,” Kurt said, quietly, using her nickname. “Can you reach the case of water behind the seat?” 

Diane nodded and reached back, grabbing a water bottle. She held it, question in her eyes and he took it. Opening it against the steering wheel. 

“Hold out your hands,” Kurt instructed. 

Diane did and he pushed them away from the center console, away from her dress. He shook some water onto her hands and handed her the bottle to do the same for Kalinda.

By the time they pulled into the hospital parking structure, their hands were clean and the floor of his truck was wet. Kalinda got out of the truck as soon as they pulled in and made a beeline for the ambulance bay. 

Diane turned to Kurt and pressed a kiss to his lips in thanks. 

“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” Diane said quietly. 

“It’s fine,” Kurt said. “Take as long as you need.” 

Diane kissed him again before slipping out of the truck and making her way to Kalinda. 

Kurt waited for god knows how long, trying to catch his breath. 

Terror.

It could have been her. That was his thought process as he pulled out of the structure and onto the waiting street. She could be the one being loaded into emergency surgery for a gun shot wound to the throat. He could be the one chasing after Kalinda into the Emergency room. 

It could have been her.

That thought was still running through his head when his phone rang. He had gotten to her apartment and was putting together something to eat when his phone rang. He answered it. 

“Diane?” 

Silence met him on the other end. 

“Hey,” he heard her say. “Can you come back and pick me up?” 

“Yeah,” he said and before anything else was able to be asked, the line went dead.

He drove the twenty minutes to the hospital. He parked his truck nearby the same space he had it in earlier. He got out, locked everything up, and went in search of his wife.

On a cold day, he expected her to remain inside. He found her outside, sitting on a bench. What stopped him in his tracks were the red rimmed eyes and the tear stained cheeks. Kurt caught her as she collapsed in his arms and sobbed into his neck.

“He’s gone, Kurt,” Diane cried. “Will’s gone.” 

Kurt held onto her and let her cry. He stood there for who knows how long. The temperature dropped. 

“Come on,” Kurt said, finally, getting her to the truck. 

They sat in silence and she wiped away the tears and tried to catch her breath. He let her. He let the silence take over and when she was ready, she would tell him. 

“I need to go home,” Diane said quietly. “My purse is at the court house. I need to get some things.” 

“I brought you a bag,” Kurt said. “I figured you’d want to change.”  
He pulled the bag from the back seat and settled it on her lap. She opened it and went through it, a small smile at his generosity blooming onto her face. The make up from her bathroom counter was in a small bag. Some things from her lingerie drawer shoved in at the bottom. A new dress was folded neatly on top of a pair of shoes he figured would match. She loved this man who sat stoically next to her. 

“You ready?” 

Diane nodded. “I need to go to the office.” 

“Okay,” he said, starting up the truck and pulling out of the parking lot.

Diane noticed quickly and gratefully that Kurt was going the long way to the office. By passing any and all emergency responders who would still be at the court house. When the vehicle came to a stop, she pulled down the old visor and touched up her make up. She looked like she had been crying. She looked like she was mourning the death of her best friend.

Good.

“I’ll be here a while,” Diane offered. 

“That’s fine,” Kurt said. “Give me a call and I’ll come back and pick you up.” 

“Where are you going to go?” 

“Not sure,” Kurt said honestly. “Was planning on wining and dining you tonight.” 

Diane leaned her head back and let it fall against the head rest. She turned her head towards Kurt and just looked at him. This man was so good to her. She wasn’t sure she deserved it.

“I may want a lot of wine,” Diane said.

“I can go buy some,” Kurt said. “Not a problem.” 

Diane nodded. Before she could slip out of the truck, Kurt caught her hand. 

“You’ve got this,” he said, knowing the monumental task she was about to endure. 

“I love you,” she said just as easily. 

He smiled at her and let her hand go. 

One day, he thought to himself as he watched her step into the building that was partly hers, he would tell her about the panic and dread that washed over him. The loop of terror that played in his mind. It wasn’t going to be today. Or tomorrow. Or next week.

Maybe never he thought. 

And never was okay for now.


	2. Saving Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drowning was the feeling. Breathing was the battle.

Emotionally drained. Physically exhausted. Mentally depleted. The sun had gone down hours ago and Diane entertained the notion of going home. Home was a nice shower, a change of clothes, her things and Kurt. 

Kurt. The man who showed up hours ago with bags of food. The man who sat outside her office for a good hour while she talked to Will’s sisters. The man who sat across from her presently with no expectations, except to drive her home. He was a godsend. 

She had fired a client. Fired someone’s assistant. Informed the partners. Talked to Alicia. Cried for her husband twice. 

She shook her head as she focused on the empty desk in front of her. 

“You look exhausted,” Kurt commented. “Long day?” 

Diane smiled tiredly and shrugged her shoulder with a bit of an eye roll. “You could say that.” 

“I wanted to take you out to dinner.” 

“You brought lunch,” Diane said. 

Kurt grinned. He did bring lunch. He also locked her office door with and practically fed the woman her lunch. It was a piece of chicken and rice with vegetables. If she didn’t eat that, she wasn’t going to eat anything all day. Knowing her as well as he did, he knew she’d go home and open a bottle of wine and get drunk faster because of the lack of food in her system. He knew that was a solid plan, especially with the way the day had gone. 

“Still want to wine and dine yah,” Kurt shrugged. “C’mon. There’s no one else here.” 

It was true, she figured. It was well past a reasonable hour for anyone. On the other side, she imagined David Lee was probably still milling around. He had tried to convince her not to fire any more clients. He probably spent hours on the phone with the ones who called to express their condolences that she wouldn’t fire them too. She didn’t care. 

It was the feeling that settled in her now. The carelessness. The carefree attitude of what happened next. If the building burnt to the ground – so be it. Will wasn’t there. 

His office was empty. It sat empty. It was left, literally, the way he left it that morning. She had Kurt at one point close the doors to it. She couldn’t get up and do it herself. 

“He just came back,” Diane had heard earlier in the day from one of the other assistants. 

Will had just come back. He was getting over the suspension. Over the Alicia betrayal. Over not knowing what came next for him and then he got this kid.   
The kid who Will believed in. Good or bad, Will was ready for battle. Ready to defend this kid regardless of the outcome. If only Will could have continued that fight.

Instead, Will died for the cause. At work. In a court room. A place he and Diane spent many a morning back in the day, over coffee, talking strategy. She was never going to be able to get that back. 

Diane let Kurt drive her home. Not like she had much of a choice. Her car keys were in her purse, which was still at the court house, which was still a crime scene. Although, she did hear that she would be able to get her things in the morning or day after. Anything related to this day she wanted to burn.

“The funeral will be next week some time,” Diane said in the middle of the ride. 

Her voice was loud to her own hears. Gravely with exhaustion. 

“His sisters want me to speak,” Diane went on, her voice lower, quieter. “I don’t know what I would say.” 

“You have time,” Kurt said. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.” 

“I don’t think they want to hear how much of a pain in the ass he was at work,” Diane quipped. “Because god what that man did.” 

She thought of the young punk who came into Stern and Associates with wide eyes and determination. He was eager to please, to say the right thing to the right person, not caring about everyone else around him. Fresh from Georgetown, fresh from a New York firm, the city boy moved to Chicago. Diane had later found out that Will’s parents and Stern had been friends, and the parents needed to cash in on a favor. 

Will won his first case and he rode high on it. He thought he was the best of the best until Diane came in against him one morning in a mock trial as prep. He had made a quip about her and when she shut him down, citing previous rulings, from previous cases, he grew quiet. Stern wasn’t angry, just warned her to take it easy. She did the opposite. 

The little seniority over Will she did have, allowed her to be first chair. The one case where Stern decided to play nice with Will and made her second, she gave Will a run for his money. She had the case drawn up in briefs, did her research, found the links and sat back. He was too good to talk with her, too good to ask her to explain what it was she found and how it related to the case. When he made a slight fool of himself in court, he let her finish the cross examination of their star witness. 

He brought her a bottle of scotch that night, apologized and they cracked it open. It was one night of many. Days melted into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years before they became partners. Will was, undoubtedly, a star. Diane was his partner in crime – they were ready to take over the world. 

“Scotch or wine?” Kurt asked, holding up a bottle of each. 

He couldn’t decide on what to get and when he watched a warm smile melt across Diane’s face he knew he picked right.

“Scotch,” Diane said. 

Kurt was giving Diane her space. Not touching her really, but gently to guide her, to catch her attention. He was being kind. Diane understood he too must be grappling with losing a friend and they were together, drowning in the knowledge together. 

“To Will,” Kurt toasted as Diane slipped down into the couch, her bare feet being tucked underneath her. 

“To Will,” she said, clinking her glass with her husband’s. 

It was then that her thoughts had overwhelmed her and forced her to not pay attention to her surroundings. She was sitting on Kurt’s couch, in his cabin, with his fire crackling in front of her. She missed the drive completely. 

Shaking her head, letting the scotch burn a trail down her throat, she ignored everything going on in her mind. She was far from her car, from her office, from her things. Yet, she knew, she had a bag of things upstairs, drawers full of her things just in case. Things were left here and there; Kurt took care of them and slowly she began to see her life merging with his. 

They still had their own places. Their own domains that were prominently theirs. It was easier that way for when Kurt had to travel, which was often, and Diane didn’t want to drive the forty miles in and out of Chicago. 

“You want me to get you a bath started?” Kurt asked. “Wash the day away?” 

“That would be nice,” Diane said, nodding. 

Kurt stood and she followed him upstairs. He started the water, checking the temperature with his fingers and standing. He found Diane sitting at the edge of her bed, her gaze focused on the floor. He pressed a kiss to her head and left her. 

Locking the doors, making sure the windows were shut – a series of precautions he took even when he was home alone. The fire had dulled significantly and he was content leaving it be. Taking to the kitchen, he opened up the bottle of wine and poured a healthy amount for Diane. He poured himself more scotch. He gripped the counter and dropped his head.  
It was because of Will Gardner he had a wife. It was because of Will Gardner he got roped up in the business of Lockhart and Gardner. It was because – 

“You do anything to make her unhappy and I will come for you,” Will told Kurt once. Not too long ago. And Kurt knew it was the truth.

Taking the drinks upstairs, Kurt readied himself. Diane had shut the water off and presumably was in the warm water, soaking.

His assumptions were proven right when he pushed open the door and found her in the tub with her head tilted back and eyes closed. 

“Brought you the wine,” Kurt said, announcing his presence.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You want me to leave you?” 

“No stay,” she said. 

She opened her eyes and reached for the wine glass. A small smile appearing on her lips in gratitude as her fingers wrapped around the stem of the glass. Kurt closed the lid of the toilet and took a seat, nursing his own drink in his hands.

“This doesn’t feel real,” Diane said. “Will being gone. It’s like a bad prank.” 

“Do you want it to be real?” 

“No,” Diane said honestly. “I want to be able to walk into work tomorrow and hear his voice.” 

Kurt watched as she drank her wine, nearly emptying the glass. He should have brought up the bottle.

“Instead,” Diane sighed. “I have to call the police and see if I can get my things back. I have to talk to the partners about what to do with Will’s office. I have to see if we’re financially stable enough to look for a new partner.” 

Diane set the glass down next to her and slouched back down into the water. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. 

“Will told me once,” Kurt began. “That you were the toughest opponent he ever had.” 

When Diane did nothing, said nothing, moved nothing, he went on. He wasn’t sure she was actually awake, but he went on. 

“You ever find out what he did the night before you decided we were going to get married?” 

“Got drunk I’d imagine,” Diane said. “It was then I found out about Alicia.” 

“He called me,” Kurt said. “We went to a bar near his place and he got plastered.” 

Diane smiled a little. Kurt took that as a victory. 

“He loved you,” Kurt said. “If that night proved anything, it was that he loved you and respected the hell out you.” 

“He was my best friend,” Diane said. “Knew all of my secrets. I knew his.” 

She had cried until her stomach cramped. Until she was gasping for air. The hot water washing away the pain of the day. The anxiety. The stress.

It felt as if she had been up for days. She had felt rigid up until the moment she stepped into the warm water. It started in her feet, the tension of the day easing. It wrapped around her waist, the knots in her lower back gently popping and unwinding themselves. The warmth spread against her shoulder blades and up to her neck. 

When she went to bad last night, she expected today to be like yesterday. Going to bed tonight, she wanted tomorrow to be nothing like today. The one thing that would remain constant though, from night to night, day to day was the man droning on about something. Kurt. 

He was her saving grace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!


	3. Thanks Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the dark of night, Kurt McVeigh thanked a friend.

Kurt McVeigh’s feet crunched as he ran down the snow-covered sidewalk. He was expected to be in court an hour ago. He missed his alarm. Stuck in the office, he was away from it all. Not until one of the young assistants knocked on the window and told him someone was looking for him.

He swung open the door to the court house, shook off the snow from his shoulders and made way to the court room he was expected in. His phone had messages from Diane and Marissa. Lucca and Maia texted him too. He heard the voices of his wife’s friends loud and clear. Before he could grab their attention, a hand touched his shoulder and he spun around. 

Brown eyes met his own and he couldn’t help but take a step back. He was looking at a man who he hadn’t seen in years, talked to in the same amount of time, and his wife wouldn’t believe him if he told her. 

“Hey,” the man said. “Congratulations.” 

“Thanks,” Kurt said, still very much confused. “Will what –“ 

“I have court just down the hall,” he said. “Diane is just outside.” 

Kurt nodded and watched as Will Gardner walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. That walk – the one with his briefcase swaying at his side and his hand in his pocket – was his calling card. Kurt shook his head. 

“Mr. McVeigh?” He heard. 

Kurt’s head snapped around and there was Diane’s assistant standing in front of him. The sounds of the court house was a lot louder. The color a lot more vivid. 

“Yeah,” Kurt said. “Sorry, Marissa.” 

“They’re expecting you,” Marissa said, gesturing down the hall.

It had been an interesting year. He walked into the courtroom, watched as Diane stood in front of the judge, his presence not know. Yet, he watched as she shifted herself, her shoulders lowered, her back straighter; she changed her posture the minute he walked in. He grinned to himself as he sat down in the section. 

“Next witness?” The Judge calls. 

“We call Kurt McVeigh to the stand, your honor.” The opposing counsel calls. 

Kurt stands and walks to the box. He raises his right hand, takes the oath and sits himself down. The microphone will pick up his answers if he leans back just a bit, settles his elbows on the arms of the chair. He wants to seem casual. He wants to seem calm. 

“Mr. McVeigh,” the lawyer from the State’s Attorney’s office began. “How are you?” 

“Late,” he said, getting a few grins from the audience. “Apologies for that your Honor.” 

The Judge nodded his head. The State’s Attorney went on.

“Mr. McVeigh, what is your relationship to Ms. Lockhart?” 

“She’s my wife,” Kurt said. 

“And how long have you two been married?” 

“Five years two weeks ago,” Kurt answered.

It was in this courthouse, in these halls, around the corner from where they were now. He waited for her and he could remember the carefree attitude she had as she came down the hallway, using it as a runway. She had called him after finding about Alicia Florrick. After she decided she was done playing by the rules of others. She wanted things done her way and she wanted to marry him regardless of what her friends or co-workers had to say.

It was also one of the last time’s he saw Will Gardner.

“Congratulations,” the States Attorney remarked. “In that time have you known Ms. Lockhart to be hostile or callous?”

“No.” 

“Has she ever threatened anyone?” 

“She threatens to fire clients,” Kurt said. “She has, actually.” 

Every time she has though, she would ask him if it was a mistake. She needed that unbiased opinion. She needed to be checked and he balanced her. 

“But she’s never threatened harm on another person?” 

“Not that I’m aware,” Kurt said. “No.” 

The State’s Attorney turned away from him and went to her table. In the meantime, Kurt risked a look who sat next to Liz. She was writing a note down and murmuring something to Diane. Diane nodded and looked up at him, giving him a small smile.

“Would it surprise you to know that your wife, Mr. McVeigh threatened the President of The United States?” 

“No.” Kurt said, earning a few gasps and worried looks. 

“No?” 

“No,” Kurt said. “She’s part of the overwhelming majority who voted against the President who are angry with actions he has taken in the last two years.” 

“But you can confirm that your wife has threatened to kill the President of the United States?” 

“No,” Kurt said. “I cannot.” 

When the State’s Attorney opened her mouth to go on, Kurt sat up a little straighter. He fixed the microphone and let the sound of his adjustment echo in the room before going on. 

“My wife is frustrated,” Kurt began. “So are thousands of other people who take to the streets in protest.” 

Kurt paused and looked at his wife’s table. Both Liz and Diane had their heads bent, muttering to each other.

“So while,” Kurt said, before pausing and rethinking his sentence. “My wife expresses her frustrations. She had a gun. She had it melted down when her partner Adrian Boseman was shot.” 

“You owned a ballistics company, Mr. McVeigh?” The State’s Attorney questions.

“I did,” Kurt said. “I sold it.” 

She picked up a stack of new paperwork and shuffled through them before picking out a stapled set. 

“And you’re a registered Republican?” 

“I am.” 

“That must make for some conversation.” The SA tried to joke. 

It fell flat, but Kurt gave the woman the benefit of the doubt anyway. With a smile still on her face, she asked: 

“What was your wife’s relationship with Will Gardner?” 

Kurt tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. He pursed his lips and glanced at Diane before answering. 

“They were partners of a firm together,” Kurt said. “Stern, Lockhart and Gardner. Then Lockhart and Gardner.” 

“Would you say their relationship was friendly?” 

“I do,” Kurt said. 

“Nothing sexual?” 

“Objection your Honor!” Liz exclaimed. “My client’s business relationship has nothing to do with the State’s Attorney’s original line of questioning.” 

“Sustained,” The Judge said. “Move along Ms. Jenson.” 

“Yes, Your Honor.” The counselor acquiesced. “Mr. McVeigh, Mr. Gardner is dead, yes?” 

“Yes.” 

“Shot by his own client.” 

“Yes.” 

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly through his nose. He realized he knew what the line of questioning was next. Did Diane want to seek vengeance for her partner’s death? Did she want someone to blame so she would take it out on the President because her “guy” didn’t win? 

“Nothing further,” Jenson said. “Your witness.” 

Liz stood and waited a moment.

“Mr. McVeigh, when was Mr. Gardner killed?” 

Jenson stood up. “Objection! Relevance?” 

“Your Honor. Ms. Jenson brought up the death of Mr. Gardner so I find it reasonable to continue with that line of questioning.” 

“Overruled. You may answer Mr. McVeigh.” 

“Today,” Kurt said. “He died today. In this courtroom. Where Ms. Jenson is sitting now.” 

“And it’s because of Mr. Gardner that you and Ms. Lockhart are together, isn’t that right?” 

“Yes.” 

“Does your wife like guns, Mr. McVeigh?” 

“She isn’t a fan of them,” Kurt said, pausing, trying to remember what Maia told him. “She has been to a shooting range though and uses guns there.” 

“As you said previously, she did own a gun, at one point, yes?” 

“Yes.” 

“And did she express ill will towards anyone, especially someone she differed in opinion with?” 

“No.” 

“Then, in your opinion, why would she threaten to kill the President of the United States?” 

“She claimed that she had a gun and was going to take to the streets,” Kurt supplied. “She could have said that but with a baseball bat and we wouldn’t be sitting here.” 

“Thank you, Mr. McVeigh,” Liz said. “No further questions, Your Honor.” 

“Mr. McVeigh, you have been dismissed.” The Judge said.

Laughter filled the offices, hours later when Kurt went back to the offices of Reddick, Boseman and Lockhart. He found them all in Diane’s office, lounging in chairs, on the couches, on the floor, drinking victory champagne. 

Diane’s back was to him when he entered. 

“To the man of the hour!” Adrian shouted, garnering Diane’s attention. 

She was grinning from ear to ear. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close. She was grateful. The pride was surging through her. She was relieved for once. 

“Would you like a drink Kurt?” 

“No thanks,” Kurt said. “I’m here to collect my wife.” 

After some pleasantries and more congratulations, Kurt got Diane into the truck and he was on their way home when she finally spoke up again.

“Thank you for today,” Diane said. “Even though you were late.” 

“Sorry,” Kurt apologized. “It was a busy morning.” 

She hummed and rolled her head against the seat, looking out of the window. 

“You okay?” Kurt asked. “Today is kind of a doozy.” 

“Yeah,” Diane said. “I’m okay.” 

And he supposed she was. They lapsed into conversation about upcoming cases and the legality issues the firm was facing. Marissa was having a surprise birthday party and Maia invited Diane. Lucca was getting ready to celebrate her son’s first birthday and the office, well, partners were getting together to buy the boy something from all of them. 

Diane turned down a glass of wine. She made her way to their bedroom and Kurt listened for the bath water. It was quiet. Kurt went about locking the house up, checking the security system. 

“Hey Diane,” Kurt called out. “What are we going to –“ 

His sentence tapered off at the sight of his wife asleep on top of the covers. He grinned and pulled a blanket from the closet, draping it over her. He got another one for himself, toed off his shoes, and climbed into bed right next to her.

Five years ago, he held his crying wife.

“You’re going to thank me one day.” Will said with a beer in his hand. “Watch. In the dark of night, you’ll thank me for her.” 

Five years later, Kurt closed his eyes and quietly to himself thought: Thanks, Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who have read this and thank you all for the Kudos. Let me know what you guys think!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading.


End file.
